The present invention relates generally to optical wavelength division multiplexers and/or demultiplexers (WDM). More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanical strain relief for WDM devices. The present invention provides mounting ears formed adjacent one end of the WDM device which carries a fiber optic cable receptacle. The mounting ears are connected to a support for the WDM device so that loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle are transferred to the support for the WDM device and do not adversely affect the optical pathway of the assembled WDM device.
The present invention is effective in providing mechanical strain relief for the optic and opto-electronic components carried by the optical block and molded coupling module in the WDM device shown and described in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/347,490, which is incorporated by reference herein as though set forth in full. The design shown in Ser. No. 09/347,490 does not provide for mechanical strain relief between the fiber optic cable receptacle and the remainder of the device. The relatively heavy loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle by users can be large enough to damage the WDM device or to adversely affect its performance.
The present invention provides a simple yet robust mechanical strain relief for use WDM devices. The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes mounting integrally formed with a plastic molded coupling module wherein the module carries a optic cable receptacle at one end and a plurality of optical and opto-electronic comp at its other end. The mounting ears transfer loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle to a support such as a pluggable housing so that those loads do not adversely affect the optical pathway of the device. The invention provides mechanical strain relief for a WDM device carried in both pluggable and non-pluggable modules or housings wherein loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle are directly transferred to the module or housing.
A primary object of the invention is to provide a pluggable or non-pluggable WDM device having mechanical strain relief provided which protects the rather sensitive optical and opto-electronic components of the device from loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a WDM device cable of mounting in a pluggable housing which transfers loads applied to the fiber optic cable receptacle to the frame of the housing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pluggable WDM device having mechanical strain relief mounting ears which cooperate with a pair of resilient detents carried in the pluggable module housing.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the drawings wherein: